Shape-controlling garments



April 7, 1959 J. E. LILIENFELD 2,880,730'

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Apml 7, 1959 J, E. L ILIENFELD 2,880,730

SHAPE-CONTROLLNG GARMENTS Filed April 14, 1958 2 sheets-sheet '2' t Mdm United States Patentl O 2,880,730 SHAPE-CONTROLLING GARMENTS Julius Edgar Lilienfeld, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Application April 14, 1958, Serial No. 728,128

12 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 444) The invention relates to a'novel arrangement for ygarments of the resilient, shape-controlling type; and is an adaptation of the broad conceptions disclosed in my copending applications for U.S. Letters Patent Serial Nos. 643,410 and 710,555. In these applications, combinations of a rigid frame with a retiform fabric are disclosed whereby there may be imparted to the mesh pattern of the retiform fabric, which is of insignilicantly extensible filaments, a distortion to provide supporting surfaces exhibiting resilient properties and adapting themselves to the shape of the load.

The embodiments disclosed in the aforesaid applications are concerned more 'especially with supporting means for the entire body; whereas, in the instant application, the novel principle of support is embodied in a support means for some particular portion of the body, as in the provision of a shape-controlling garment, the material being so conformed that it will enact the required resilient control.

Thus, the invention has for an object to provide a garment or support member of said nature of a durable, comparatively inexpensive and readily available materialinherently of insignificant elasticityas a substitute for the commonly used highly elastic material heretofore considered essential to bring about the required resilience.

Another object of the invention is to increase the durability of such garment, inasmuch as the life of the generally utilized rubber yarns (Lastex), and the goods woven and/or knitted from them (Power Net), is too limited due to the progressively developing Stretchout A further object of the invention is to provide for the wearer of the novel garment, unhindered flexibility and litheness, and to eliminate the feeling of constriction which occurs in the contact, for example, of Power Nets with the skin of the wearer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a resilient garment or support member, the properties of which will not be affected by laundering.

In carrying out the invention, the rigid frame in the aforesaid applications having the retiform fabric attached is replaced by a framework which, while non-rigid by itself, becomes of acceptably well defined definition when the garment is placed on the wearer, thus bringing into being, in analogy to the rigid frame of said applications, relatively invariant lines of action. The fabric, however, is of the same type in either case-preferably, a polygonal, multivectorial mesh pattern as outlined by more than two vectors of distinctly different directions; and it is knitted of a flexible but insignilicantly extensible yarn non-significantly affected by moisture, e. g. nylon, Dacron etc. The mesh is of a non-slip, that is to say, there is no slipping at the apices. For the instant embodiments of the invention, a mesh pattern of equilateral hexagons is shown as the preferred type; and said pattern is herein defined as being in zero position and undistorted when the fabric is so spread that all of the hexagons appear as regular ones.

The invention resides in the establishment of a distorice tion of said mesh pattern under load changes whereby resilient reaction is elfected by the fabric. To this end, the retiform fabric is secured to part or all of the framework in a novel manner to attain distortion of its mesh pattern when the garment is applied to the wearer.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention as embodied in a girdle and applied to a wearer.

Fig. 2 is a view representing the garment cut along its rear symmetry axis and developed, the garment being not completed.

Figs. 2a and 2b are plan views, on a reduced scale,

of the fabric panels of which the garment is constructed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating rthe distortion of the retiform mesh pattern of the fabric.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner of associating a finishing band with the fabric at the bottom of the garment.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a brassiere applied to a wearer, with cups thereof embodying the invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the fabric as prepared for further operation thereon for transformation into a bra cup.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the novel bra cup attached to a brassiere.

Figs. 8 and 9 are views similar to Fig. 7 and illustrate a modification in the support of the bra cup.

Reference being had to the drawings, more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, 10 designates a sheet of fabric of the retiform type such as of equilateral hexagons 11 of lineal dimensions which are small relatively to the dimensions ofthe fabric area. This sheet constitutes the shapecontrolling portion (area) of the garment and it is to this end secured in a novel manner to a framework 13 which, though flexible in nature, is of acceptably invariant denition under all occurring conditions of use.

The garment comprises about its upper border a con- 'ventional band 15 to form the belt of a girdle; and the retiform fabric is joined to the said belt. The garment is assembled of two panels of retiform fabric, the area of the one (front) panel 17 being indicated in Fig. 2a and of the other (rear) panel 18 in Fig. Zb-both figures being on a reduced scale. To effect the shape-controlling action, each panel is joined to the belt 15 in a novel manner, to wit: along a curve 25 traced on a panel 17 and a curve 26 traced on the panel 18, the concavity of the curves being toward the belt and the rear curve being swung deeper than the front curve. In linally assembling the garment, the retiform fabric is distorted to the effect that the curves traced upon it are moved point by point along parallel lines, as is indicated by the arrows, until they coincide with respective straight lines 27, 28 traced around the belt.

The two panels 17, 18 are then joined by seaming them along their curved border lines and/or traces 19, 20 and 23, 24 respectively; and, preferably, by intermediary means such as the respective tapes 21, 22. These tapes, in turn, are secured at their upper ends to the belt.

A finishing binding 29 may be associated with the bottom of the fabric as by interlacing it with the hexagons 11 thereof, as is indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Obviously, the assembled garment is limp prior to its being placed on the wearer, but is potentially pre stressed to the effect that a stress is enacted when the garment is applied to the body of the wearer. In other words, the body of the wearer is of essence in establishing the geometrical condition which controls the shape.

The shape-controlling distortion of the mesh pattern as it appears on the body of the wearer is effected by aseoao 3 making to coincide two non-congruent lines or traces, at leastone of which is on the fabric. This is accomplished by a point by point motion along a set of parallel straight lines. By establishing said coincidence, the number of meshes per unit length along a portion of the so-joined traces becomes substantially altered when com pared with the meshes along a congruent trace drawn on the non-distorted fabric--defined as in its zero position. The aforesaid parallel motion is, however, not the only way to accomplish the transformation of one trace into another; and other motions may be devised.

Perhaps the most useful other transformation is the one displacing radially the circumference of a disk 30 of retiform fabric to coincide with a smaller trace 31, as is indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. In so doing, a breast sup- .porting cup maybe formed greatly superior to that of the conventional cups.

i As an additional feature, adjustment of the breast profile over a widerange maybe effected to satisfy'the prevailing taste. Specifically, if a spheroidal or pearshaped form is desired rather than a more flattened one, this may be arranged by means as disclosed in Figs. 6 and 7.

As is indicated, the retiform fabric is cut along the lines 32, 33 and the corresponding sector of the fabric is removed-including an arc such as of 90, more or less, of the circumference-conforming with the prevailing taste, the vertex, preferably, being radially displaced slightly from the center. Such cut-out may be effected prior to the aforesaid radial transformation and its edges then joined as is indicated in Fig. 7, preferably, by an intermediate tape member 35. It is also possible, however, to start the processing with the radial transformation and follow it with the other steps.

The cup may be mounted on a conventional brassiere 36 by stitching or otherwise attaching the cup circumferentially thereto. Or, it may be attached to a wire frame brassiere, in which case attachment may be effected in different ways. For example, reference being had to Fig. 8 of the drawings, the cup 40 of retiform fabric may be attached directly to the wire frame 41 in conventional manner, the whole assembly then being secured to the brassiere strap 42.

In Fig. 9, however, a different mode of attachment is disclosed, the cup 45 being attached to a wire loop 46 through the intermediary of a cloth frame 47 joining said loop to the base of the cup, which latter is then attached to the brassiere straps 48 in the conventional manner.

l claim:

l. A shape-controlling garment comprising the combination of an area of retiform fabric; and a seam in the fabric within said area, the number of meshes of said fabric along at least a portion of the seam per unit length being substantially different from the number of meshes of said retiform fabric along a congruent line on the fabric in its undistorted zero position.

2. A shape-controlling garment according to claim l, wherein the fabric is of multi-vectorial mesh pattern.

3. A shape-controlling garment according to claim 1, wherein a framework of flexible fabric to fit the wearer is provided, the retiform fabric being attached along a border line of its area to the framework and under distortion of its mesh pattern.

4. A shape-controlling garment according to claim 3, wherein the retiform fabric is joined along a seam to the framework.

5. A shape-controlling garment according to claim 3, wherein the frame-work comprises a belt and a pair of lateral members seamed to the retiform fabric.

6. A breast-supporting cup according to claim l, wherein the seam is along a closed curve.

7. A breast-supporting cup according to claim 6, wherein a sector portion of the retiform fabric is removed and the cut edges joined.

S. A breast-supporting cup according to claim 6, wherein a radial intermediary tape joins the cut edges.

9. A breast-supporting cup according to claim 6, wherein the seam is placed along a loop of ilexible wire.

l0. Breast-supporting cups according to claim 6 and mounted in a brassiere provided with wire loops, Wherein cloth frames are attached within the wire loops, and the cups are seamed to said frames.

1l. A garment according to claim l, wherein the retiform fabric comprises a pair of panels, and a belt is provided along the upper edge of the panels and 1s seamed thereto.

12. A garment according to claim 1l, wherein seams join the panels laterally.

No references cited. 

